45 



there are vacant spaces, these are filled by planting 

 in young shoots when setting out and even after- 

 wards. 



NOTI. The distances between the drills of beets are from 

 ene foot to eighteen inches. The lesser distance for very rich 

 lands, and the greater for those less lich. In general 15 inchei 

 is the distance in use. The distance between th beets in th 

 drills is from 8 to 10 inches and the rule is governed by the same 

 circumstances as for the drills. The reason of the rule of greater 

 or less distances as the soil is poorer or richer is, that the root 

 increases on account of the richness of the soil, and the space 

 left each to germinate, so that with the same distances a rich soil 

 would give larger beets. But the larger a beet is in size, the less 

 rich is it in sugar, and the juice contains a larger quantity of 

 water and foreign substances. By diminishing the distances for 

 fertile soils, the beets are forced to ripen in better condition as 

 to size, and the return is not diminished, for if the root 

 diminished, in size there are mere of them and of a better 

 quality. 



7 CULTURE OF THE BEET. 



Beet culture, properly so called, includes every- 

 thing that should be done both to the ground and 

 plant from the time of the appearance of the shoot 

 until its final maturity. It includes the destruction of 

 the weeds, the clearing of the young plants and the 

 various ploughings or delvings which tend to soften 

 and make pervious to the air and moisture, the 

 upper coating of the soil. 



The young plants, being elastic and vigorous, 

 soon rise from their confined position caused by the 

 seed and stand upright. Two small and tender 



